A winter full of cold weather and snowy mornings has gifted Madison County school children more time under the covers and a few days off this school year. Seven times local public schools have started two hours late due to inclement weather, with a full ten school days canceled through the first week of February according to documents shared with The News-Record & Sentinel.

“I remember those days fondly as having to wake up at four o’clock,” Madison County Interim Superintendent Jim Causby said with a chuckle. Last year, the district lost just two days to weather issues, according to Causby, who added that Madison averages about eight lost days each year.

For Causby, the loss of classroom time is a very real concern. Madison County Schools’ calendar to open the school year included 1,095 hours of classroom instruction, with state mandates requiring 1,025 hours. The loss of so much time has put the district close to that minimum. “And we still have a lot of winter to go,” Causby said in a phone interview.

In January, Causby outlined his contingency plan to the Madison County School Board should more school need to be canceled. Already, part of that plan, converting all remaining early release days to full days, has been put in place. “If we didn’t miss anything else, students would end May 30 right now as planned,” Causby said.

Causby has consulted with teacher and student advisory committees to determine what steps to take should more hours be lost to snow. Among the options: push the last day of school back to June 5, convert Memorial Day to a school day, have class on Saturday and schedule class during spring break.

“I promise you, that is my absolute last resort,” Causby told board members at their Jan. 22 meeting. “We understand that families plan vacations and make reservations. We would do everything else first.”

Decisions on school calendar issues fall under the superintendent’s discretion in North Carolina, according to Causby. “It’s always been done that way,” he said. “It’s better for one person to have that responsibility. It takes the heat off the board.”

Asked if concern over the calendar changed the decision-making process when making the call to delay or cancel school, Causby did not hesitate. “No,” the 71-year old said. “We make the calls the same way. We’re not going to push it when the roads are not good.”